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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414226">Steady As Clockwork</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/neokid93/pseuds/neokid93'>neokid93</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Instances in Time [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Childhood, Continuation, DannyMay, Gen, Prompt Fill, Sequel, dannymay2020, lost time fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:54:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>953</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/neokid93/pseuds/neokid93</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>DannyMay2020: Childhood</p><p>Danny doesn't want to stay in the backyard to play.  He gets himself into a predicament and thankfully, a kind soul from his past is there to help.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clockwork &amp; Danny Fenton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Instances in Time [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763092</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>121</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Steady As Clockwork</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Danny May 2020</strong>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">Childhood</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">Steady As Clockwork</span>
</p><p>Danny was out exploring.  Jazz was supposed to be watching him, but he was seven now and as long as he stayed in the backyard, she didn’t care what he did.  He had slipped through a loose plank in the fence and quickly made his way to the park near his house.  No one was there to tell him not to climb trees, or run as fast as he could, or to yell if he wanted to.  Therefore, he did all of that.  He ran as fast as he could, yelling as loud as he could, with his arms stretched out behind him like a comet’s tail until he reached the tallest tree he could find.  He had been eyeing this tree for weeks, ever since he noticed it past the line of cut grass that the grownups let him play on.  He could tell that this was a special, magical, perfect for climbing, tree. </p><p>Danny tossed his shoes on the ground and scrambled up to a branch big enough he could lay on.  He was really high up!  He sat his back against the trunk of the tree and folded his legs around the branch to help keep his balance as he reached into his pocket.  He pulled out his magic watch.  This watch was given to him a long time ago by an elf that helped him when he was lost.  Jazz had said that elves didn’t exist but Danny knew better, elves and ghosts and monster definitely existed.  He had seen them when Daddy accidentally put the house in a different world.  He fiddled with it for a moment, enjoying the clicking sound it made as he wound the knob tighter.  He closed his eyes as he listened to the soft ticking sound, it made him happy and he felt safe and loved when he heard it.</p><p>A breeze gusted by, ruffling his hair and bringing the scents of dinner cooking with it.  Danny didn’t want to get down from the tree, he was so close to the sky!  He frowned as he read the time on the watch, the little hand was already past the six.  If he didn’t get home soon, Mommy and Daddy would be worried, and Jazz would be mad if he got her in trouble by sneaking away.</p><p>With a deep sigh, Danny tucked the watch back into the deepest part of his pocket and turned to begin his descent.  He made it down two more branches before his foot slipped.  It was only grabbing the limb in front of him with both hands that saved him from falling from an unfortunate height.  He took a deep breath, glad that he was fast and not afraid of heights, as he tried to figure a way from his predicament. </p><p>He heard a rustling sound and looked down; standing on the ground below him was the Elf-man!  Danny wiggled a little in his excitement, “Hello!” he called down.</p><p>It was hard to see the elf’s face from this high up and with his body and the branch in the way, but it looked like he was smiling.</p><p>“Hello little one, it looks like you could use a helping hand.”</p><p>Danny nodded his head vigorously, “Yes please, I’m stuck.”</p><p>The man held out his arms and called back up to him, “You can let go, do not worry, I’ll catch you.”</p><p>Danny trusted him, so he did as he was asked, and let go of the branch.  It was a much shorter drop than he expected before he was caught in the arms of his rescuer.  The old man was a lot stronger than he looked, his arms were very steady and didn’t shake at all even holding Danny.</p><p>Danny let out a sigh of relief and leaned his head against the man’s chest.  There was a faint ticking sound just like his watch and it helped him calm down further.</p><p>“Thank you for catching me, and saving me when I was stuck.” he said.</p><p>“It was my pleasure little one, I’m glad that I was able to help you.”</p><p>Danny tilted his head back slightly to look in his savior’s face, “I never learned your name, what can I call you?”</p><p>The man smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling, “You may call me Chrono.”  His eyes danced at a joke that only he understood.</p><p>Danny hummed lightly, “Thank you for saving me Mr. Chrono, and for helping me when I was little.  Thank you for the watch, I always have it with me.”</p><p>Chrono smiled gently and said, “You are more than welcome, child.” </p><p>The seconds seemed to stretch forever as they stood there, Danny cuddled up in his arms.  After some immeasurable time had passed, Chrono gave the child a slightly pained smile and said, “Go on Daniel, you must be hungry and you don’t want to get in trouble for running off to play on your own.”  He carefully let Danny down to the ground and handed him his discarded shoes. “If you hurry you can make it back without them noticing you were gone.”  He ruffled the child’s hair once he was standing again, “Go on, I’ll be watching.”</p><p>Danny grinned at him and gave him a quick hug, before running off with a wave.  He made it back through the fence moments before Jazz stuck her head out the door to yell, “Danny!  Dinner’s ready!”  He skipped up the steps to the back door and kicked off his shoes once he was inside.  He patted the hidden watch in his pocket as his mother and father greeted him.  This adventure he would keep a secret.</p>
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